For relatively minor cases of lead paint poisoning, such as that which occurs in children with blood lead levels less than 19 mcg/dl, the standard treatment is to dramatically change the child’s diet and to aggressively clean the child’s living quarters. Once blood lead levels are above about 9, which are considered by many to be an unnatural but normal level for children, the child should have frequent checkups with a doctor.

The degree of blood lead intoxication above 9 observed in the child will probably guide the doctor in how aggressively to monitor and treat the child. The Law Offices of Jonathan B. Nelson, PC recommends that you err on the safe side and see a doctor any time a child’s blood lead intoxication level rises above 0. 

 

Diet: Changing the child’s diet can help remove some of the nutritional deficiencies that can aid lead absorption and increase toxicity.  Children observed to have elevated lead levels in the blood will be likely constrained to a diet low in fat and rich in iron and calcium. In addition, doctors will probably recommend frequent healthy meals for children with elevated blood levels. A full belly is likely to reduce absorption of lead into the child’s body.  

  

Cleaning the Living Quarters: The house should be cleaned with a damp mop in areas that are likely to be near paint and accumulate dust.  The child’s hands should be cleaned frequently to remove any contamination that might be picked up by the hands and placed into the mouth. Parents should teach their children about the danger of eating any nonfood substance in the house, especially paint chips, which have been shown to taste sweet to children and anything else that might have been contaminated with paint.

 

There are several different ways for treat lead paint poisoning. For the most serious cases, a treatment is administered which is known as Chelation therapy. Chelation, which has been used for approximately 40 years, involves the administration of certain chemicals, often referred to as “agents” that can bind to lead and remove it from the blood and soft tissues. Chelation is only of limited use for removing lead from the bones. The final result is an increase of lead that is excreted from the blood to the child’s urine.

 

Children with blood lead levels above 45 micrograms/deciliter and any child showing the classic symptoms of lead poisoning may be prescribed Chelation therapy by their doctor. Immediate Chelation therapy may be administered for any child with elevated blood levels and experiencing severe vomiting, muscle and joint weakness, and seizures.

 

The goal of treatment is to reduce the level of lead toxicity in the poisoned child’s body.

 

Early treatments with Chelation were exclusively administered through a series of painful intramuscular injections. However, the therapy is now administered exclusively through intravenous infusion (I.V. is inserted into a vein) and in some cases orally. Intravenous Chelation therapy involves a hospital stay of at least one week where the person will be monitored constantly. Oral chelation, if appropriate for the person’s particular case, may be administered on an outpatient basis. Oral Chelation is considered to be much slower acting, and there is some disagreement whether it should be used in place of I.V. administration. 

The following is a list of some commonly used Chelation drugs and how they are administered. 

 

1) DMSA – This is an orally administered drug also known as Chemet, Succimer, and Dimercaptosuccinic acid. The drug is almost always used in patients with blood levels between 45-69 mg/dcl and is commonly administered every eight hours for five days and every 12 hours thereafter for two or more weeks.

 

2) EDTA – This drug is administered intravenously or through a series of intravenous injections. It is often used in the more serious cases of lead poisoning where blood levels are > 69 mcg/dcl.

 

3) BAL – This is an injection administered drug also known as British Anti-lewisite or Dimercaprol.

Before agreeing to have their child undergo Chelation therapy for lead poisoning, parents should carefully consider the adverse reactions inevitably involved in its administration. A recent study indicates that around 50% of people undergoing Chelation therapy suffer some sort of severe side effect. The type and degree of side effect depends on the type of Chelation drug administered and the health of the patient. Some common side effects include serious and potentially fatal kidney damage, anemia, bone marrow damage, headaches, fever, insulin shock, irregular heartbeat, joint pain, painful urination, severe inflammation of the needle site (if administered through injection), and stroke.

 

While many of the above mentioned symptoms are extraordinarily rare, there is no doubt that Chelation therapy administered to children, especially in hospital, is uncomfortable and potentially traumatic. Children who receive in hospital Chelation therapy may have severe trouble dealing with the hospital stay and the post Chelation effects which can include loss of appetite and lethargy.  The outpatient use of oral Chelation therapy, which is appropriate in certain cases, and often involves the use of a drug called Succimer, may make the process much more comfortable. However, because the use of oral chelating agents reduces the body’s resistance, those receiving oral Chelation therapies must return to a home completely cleaned of lead.   Of course, your doctor is in the best position to discuss these and other issues with you and can properly advise you of any potential risks.  Please consult your doctor.

It is important to note that Chelation therapy is highly controversial. Whole websites and books have been dedicated to analyzing, advocating, or dispelling the controversy. However, it is important to note that much of the controversy surrounding Chelation therapy does not regard its use for the detoxification of serious cases of lead poisoning.  Chelationt therapy for lead detoxification is practiced by mainstream physicians and hospitals.  Most of the controversy surrounds Chelation therapy’s expanded use for treating conditions such as heart disease, angina, Alzheimers etc.